Mystery Of The River
by GoldGuardian2418
Summary: Five years before Frisk freed the monsters, another girl falls into the Underground, but is not one of the six prior children. How does she survive? River Person and OC father-daughter story. :)
1. Fall

**Okay, lately I've been curious about the River Person and finally decided to do a story with him. :)**

 **This story will take place five years before Frisk freed the monsters, by my OC will not be one of the six children who fell before Frisk. This is going to be a father-daughter story with River Person and my OC, just to let you all know. :)**

 **Undertale belongs to Toby Fox. I only own Kayla.**

* * *

 **Mystery Of The River**

 **Chapter 1: Fall**

"Alright, this is the place," said a man to three other people. Two were young men that held a struggling twelve-year-old girl in place and another was the man's wife.

"Let's just get it over with," the wife said. "I want to call social services and then we'll have another boy in the family."

The young girl struggled to get free of them. "But I thought you adopted me," she protested.

The woman looked at her in disgust. "I told the social workers I wanted to adopt a boy, not a girl," she snapped. "You're just a worthless piece of trash."

The man nodded to his older sons. "Throw her in," he said.

They nodded and dragged the young girl over to a hole in the mountain and pushed her in. "Goodbye, brat," one of them said as she screamed as she fell into the mountain.

"Come on, let's go," said the other brother. "She's not going to survive long down there."

They left, leaving no evidence that they had even been there.

* * *

Kayla tried to grab onto something to stop her fall, but soon landed on something that cushioned her fall and she took a moment before sitting up and seeing if she had any broken bones. Surprisingly, she had none, but immediately got up, knowing she had to find a way out of the mountain.

Wasting no time, she took off, running down a path that had snow banks on either side of it, but she paid the snow no mind as she kept running. "I've got to find a way out," she told herself and continued running until she was running along a path that was next to a vast river.

In her haste, she didn't see that the water had turned the snow into ice on the path and suddenly, she slipped and fell to the ground, but the ice had no traction and she slid straight into the river.

The cold water took her breath away and she struggled to get her head above water, kicking her legs hard despite the cold water already starting to numb her lower body. With a burst of effort, she got her head above water and gasped for air, struggling to stay afloat. While the current wasn't strong, she didn't know how to swim and the cold water wasn't helping matters by chilling her to the bone and making her lose feeling in her legs and in her arms.

"Help!" She screamed, hoping someone could hear her, but a second cry for help got stuck in her throat as cold water hit her face, causing her to cough.

She began focusing on staying afloat when a boat pulled up and she grabbed onto the side of it, coughing as she struggled to hold on. A moment later, Kayla felt two hands grab her arms and lift her up out of the water and into two arms. She coughed again and shivered from both cold and relief to have been saved. Something warm was then placed around her and she immediately tried to burrow into it to dry off and try to warm up and get some feeling back in her numb limbs. While it helped, fatigue set it and she passed out, her mind going blank.

River Person quickly caught the young girl he had saved from the cold river before she fell over as she passed out and he tucked the warm cloak around her more. "She's only a child," he said to himself.

Knowing the King was looking for one more soul to break the barrier, River Person shook his head. He wouldn't turn this girl in to the King. He looked at her now, gently brushing a gloved hand over the girl's long wet black hair. He wondered how old she was, though he guessed she wasn't yet a teenager. Seeing her shiver in her sleep, he guided his boat to his home in Hotland and lifted her up into his arms, looking around to make sure no one saw them, and he headed into his house, which was a simple hut with five rooms and a kitchen.

Taking the young girl into one of the bedrooms, he set her on the bed and found more blankets, wrapping them around her to not only help her dry off, but to try and get her warm again. "Hang on, child," he said softly as he sat by her, keeping a close watch on her as she finally started getting warm and her shivering died down until her sleep became more peaceful.

River Person didn't leave her side for the entire night.

* * *

 **Hmm, quite interesting. Why did River Person save Kayla? Stay tuned for the next chapter! :)**

 **And please leave a review, but no flames! Constructive criticism is welcomed.**

 **GoldGuardian2418**


	2. A New Home

**Chapter 2: A New Home**

Feeling warm and sensing someone was near her, Kayla woke up and opened her eyes to see a cloaked person beside her. Startled, she jumped up, or at least tried to, but she was all tangled up in the blankets, so she squirmed to get free. "Calm down, child," a soothing voice said as a white gloved hand reached for her. The young girl whimpered in fear and winced sharply before feeling gentle fingers stroke her head. "Shh, easy now, little one," she heard him say. "You're safe here and quite lucky you didn't drown."

Kayla shook a little, afraid and she flinched when she saw him stand up and loom over her. "Shh, calm down," he said before helping her sit up and get unwound from the blankets that had kept her warm and saved her life. She looked up at him as he gently helped her, even giving her another blanket to wrap around herself.

After a moment, she spoke. "Are you…Are you going to hurt me?" She asked.

He looked at her. "Why would I help you and then hurt you?" He asked gently.

She looked down, but felt a gentle, gloved hand gently tilt her face upward to look at him. "I won't hurt you, little one," he said. "Do you remember what happened to you?"

She nodded. "My…My foster parents and foster brothers…threw me into a hole in the mountain," she said. "I…I ran and…I fell into the water. I tried to swim, but it was so cold."

She then looked up at him. "A boat came up and I grabbed it and someone pulled me up out of the water." She paused. "Was…Was that you? The one who pulled me out of the water? Was that your boat?"

River Person raised a hand to gently stop her flow of questions. "That was my boat, yes," he said. "And yes, I pulled you out of the river as you clung to my boat trying to get your breath back."

The young girl gave him a grateful look. "Thank you," she said.

"You're welcome," he said, seeing she was calmed down. "What is your name, little one?"

"Kayla," she replied.

"How old are you?" He asked.

"Twelve," she said. "Just turned twelve a couple months ago."

He nodded. "Well, Kayla, this is the Underground," he said. "It's full of monsters like myself."

She cocked her head. "Monsters?" She asked. "But…you don't look like a monster."

He chuckled a little, appreciating the fact that she didn't see him as a monster. "But I am," he said gently. "We monsters here were trapped many years ago and our King, Asgore, needs one more human to break the barrier that keeps us here."

Kayla was listening and something clicked. "Why do I get the feeling you mean he needs to…kill another human?" She asked.

River Person had to give the girl credit. She was smart. "That is exactly what it means," he said. "If you are to stay down here, we must hide the fact that you're a human from the rest of the Underground. Many of them will hunt you and bring you to Asgore."

She swallowed hard. "But…where will I go?" She asked. "I don't have a home."

He gently took her hand. "That's where I come in," he said. "You can stay with me, Kayla. I have a cloak and some clothes that will fit you and hide you so that no one will know you're a human beneath the cloak."

She looked at him. "Why…Why are you doing this?" She asked. "You saved me and I'm grateful, but…why help me when…it could mean your freedom too?"

"Because I dislike war and hurting others," he replied. "Not to mention the other monsters might not think twice before trying to hurt you. Perhaps not all of them, but some would attack first and ask questions later."

Kayla gave it some thought. A monster who had helped her and was kind to her was offering her a home and protection. "What if…What if I choose to stay here…like forever?" She asked.

"You'd be welcome to stay with me as long as you'd like," River Person said. "I'll even teach you some defensive magic so that you can protect yourself, if you'd like."

It was a bit overwhelming at first thinking about it and she looked at him. "I think…I don't know about the magic part yet, but…if you're willing to host me, I'd be grateful."

He nodded and stood up, giving her the new clothes and stepping out for a bit while she changed and she smiled, seeing how she looked just like him and turned to him. "Thank you," she said.

"You're welcome," he said, a smile in his voice as he handed her a pair of white gloves. "You must wear these at all times. If word gets out, Asgore will hunt you."

That was a scary thought and she took a deep breath. "I'll always be alert," she promised. "And I'll keep hidden."

River Person nodded before seeming thoughtful. "Your voice might give you away," he said after a moment. "Do you know sign language?"

She shook her head. "But I've always wanted to learn," she admitted.

Not long after, he began teaching her and she caught on very quick, mimicking hand signs and he was impressed before watching as she signed something to him, something that made him stop in surprise.

 _Thank you, Papa,_ she signed out as she also spoke the words before looking a bit nervous. "Um, can I call you that? Is that okay?"

He smiled. "You see me as a father figure?" He asked and she nodded. "Then, welcome to your new home, my daughter."

Relieved that he accepted her as a daughter as she had accepted him as a father because she felt safe with him, she stood up and hugged him, feeling loved for the first time in a long time. He returned the hug. "Oh, my little one," he said. "Don't worry, I'll always keep you safe."

Kayla didn't doubt that and she clung to him, trying to sort out how she felt and finally deciding she felt happy, something she hadn't felt in many years, but right then, she felt very, very happy.

* * *

 **So looks like Kayla is settling in and River Person has accepted her as his daughter, but how long will her secret remain? Stay tuned to find out. :)**

 **And please leave a review, but no flames!**

 **GoldGuardian2418**


	3. Learning

**Chapter 3: Learning**

Kayla was looking over books that her father had, reading more about the human-monster war that had trapped the monsters under Mt. Ebbot. But from what she was reading, the monsters were generally very peaceful, but some didn't care for humans, which no doubt might have started the war in the first place, along with a lot of humans being close-minded. She could relate to that with her foster parents sending her down into here where she might not have made it if it hadn't been for River Person. She looked up at hearing him come in.

"Papa, from what I've read, Asgore made it law that if humans were ever found down here, they were to be brought to him," she said, signing her words too as she spoke. "Is that law still in place?"

"As far as I know, yes," River Person replied, also using sign language. "But he might have changed his mind ever since the queen left him."

"Queen Toriel?" Kayla asked. "Why would she leave him? Her children were killed by humans, right?"

"Yes, but one of those children…was a little human girl."

He turned a few pages of the book and pointed to the passage about how the prince had found the human and helped her, becoming that human's brother. The two didn't see that they were two different species. They saw themselves as siblings and even the king and queen accepted the young girl as their daughter. "The child enjoyed many happy times until she grew very sick one day," he continued. "Sadly, there was nothing anyone could do and she passed away."

"That's awful," the twelve-year-old said. "How old was she?"

"Only a couple years younger than you," River Person replied. "Her death hit the royal family very hard and the prince, Asriel, tried to do the right thing by returning her to the surface where she could have a proper burial, but the humans didn't even give him a chance to explain and he fell."

Kayla felt a lump in her throat. "That means…King Asgore and Queen Toriel…lost both their children that day."

"Yes." The cloaked being she looked up to as a father hung his head. "A senseless killing that drove the king to decree that any humans found down here would be brought to him and they would die while he would trap their souls to break the barrier. He now just needs one more and the spell that keeps the barrier up will be broken and we monsters will be free."

"But what would the monsters do when freed?" His daughter asked.

"Some would go and seek revenge on humans," River Person said. "Others would try a more peaceful path, but that may prove harder than they hope. Not all humans…are open-minded and mean well."

She nodded. "I know that all too well," she said softly before feeling her father's hand on her shoulder.

"Yes, but I hope there are more humans like you who understand and are open-minded," he said.

"To be honest, Papa, I haven't seen too many," Kayla stated.

He nodded. "It certainly doesn't seem that way, but I believe there are," he said. "And if Asgore can be convinced, perhaps the barrier can be broken another way and humans and monsters can once again get along with each other, help each other out, and share the Earth as we once did centuries ago."

Kayla stood up and hugged her father. "I hope that does happen soon, Papa," she said.

"Believe me, my little one, so do I," he replied, hugging her back.

Later that day, the twelve-year-old grew hungry while her father was out at his job and she remembered he said that Grillby's was the best place to go eat. While she mostly kept to herself at home, she did want to go out now and then and always made sure her disguise was in place.

Now donning on her cape and gloves before pulling up the hood of her cape to hide her face, she headed out for Snowdin, where Grillby's restaurant was. She was soon there and she went inside the restaurant to find it empty, which suited her fine as she went up to the counter where Grillby was cleaning. He glanced up at her before setting down the glass and dish towel and going over to her. "Hello, Kayla," he said.

She gasped in fear. No one except her father knew her name as for her safety, they decided that no one should be told her real name. She went to stand up, but Grillby grabbed her arm in a gentle, firm grip. He quickly guided her to come around the counter and behind the bar and gently pushed her down to hide. She was about to ask what he was doing when she saw a protective barrier of quiet fire surround her and fell quiet, listening to see what was going on.

"Ah, hello, Undyne," Grillby said conversationally, making Kayla freeze in fear. River Person had told her that Undyne was the Captain of the Royal Guard and hunted for humans and was ruthless. He even showed her a picture of the fish woman to that Kayla could avoid her. She now stayed very still, afraid that Grillby had captured her and was going to give her to Undyne, but if that was the case, why did he pull her behind the bar? Maybe because he wanted to take her to the king himself? She hunkered down, afraid as she listened to the conversation above her.

"Grillby, have you seen a human around here?" Undyne asked.

"Why, yes," Grillby replied. "I saw one run by and it looked be really running."

"Which way?" The fish woman asked.

"I looked out to see them running into the woods," he said. "They might be using it as cover to get to Hotland or the King Asgore's castle."

"Not on my watch," Undyne growled. "Thanks, Grillby."

With that, she left, not even realizing she had been tricked and that the fire monster was hiding a human girl. He now kneeled down beside Kayla, who gave him a fearful look and was shaking. "Shh, don't be afraid of me, Kayla," he said soothingly. "I'm not going to hurt you."

She looked at him. "Why did you capture me?" She asked.

"So that Undyne wouldn't see you," he said. "Like your father, whom I'm good friends with, I don't believe in killing innocence people or children."

Kayla looked up at him. "You know Papa?" She asked.

Grillby nodded before opening his arms to her and she was hesitant, but after a moment, let him pull her into a hug, one that she accepted and clung to him. "Papa doesn't know I'm here," she said. "He's with his boat."

"Don't worry, I called him while I was speaking with Undyne," he said. "He's on his way."

She looked up at him. "Thank you, Mr. Grillby," she said, realizing that the fire monster had just saved her life as her father had done for her, something she was grateful for.

The door to the restaurant opened right then. "Kayla? Grillby?" River Person's familiar voice filled the room.

Grillby stood up. "Ah, River Person," he said. "She's right here."

Kayla stood up and ran around the bar, into her father's arms. "Papa!" She exclaimed, clinging to him.

"Undyne came in here?" River Person asked.

"Yes. She heard that there was a human in the Underground. I pulled Kayla behind the bar before Undyne walked in," the fire monster said.

"Thank you, my friend," the cloaked being said gratefully as he rubbed Kayla's back soothingly, holding her comfortingly. "I'm here, my little one," he soothed.

The poor girl finally calmed down and looked up at her father. "Papa, remember you said you'd teach me magic if I wanted?" She asked.

"Yes?" He asked.

"Well, are there protective and reflective magics?"

"You mean like the fire shield I created when Undyne was here?" Grillby asked.

"Yeah," Kayla said. "And maybe, if I can reflect the attacks to land harmlessly elsewhere, I can then defend myself in case I run into Undyne or someone else who wants to capture me."

"That wouldn't be a bad idea," River Person said before nodding. "Alright. I can teach you those magics, but you'll have to really work at mastering them so that you can effectively use them."

"It might not be too hard," Grillby said. "Kayla has been here for about a month, correct?"

"Yes," the young girl said.

"Her body then has surely absorbed at least a little magic that can be shaped into the magics she wishes to learn."

"Yes," River Person nodded. "You're right, Grillby, but Kayla, you must still work hard to maintain your powers so that you don't lose control of them."

"I will, Papa," she promised before looking at Grillby. "Did Papa tell you about me?"

"He did," the fire monster said. "And don't worry. I'll keep your secret."

She smiled as he had already proven he would. "Thank you," she said gratefully, glad that there was at least one other monster she could trust and possibly go to if trouble arose again.

For now, she was ready to learn some magic.

* * *

 **Talk about a close call, huh? :)**

 **Next chapter: Kayla not only learns magic, but also learns her main traits.**

 **Please leave a review, but no flames!**

 **GoldGuardian2418**


	4. Becoming Stronger

**Chapter 4: Becoming Stronger**

Kayla stood in a firm stance, her hands positioned as if she was holding a glass ball, her hands level with her chest and her elbows out with her right hand hovering over her left hand. A swirl of magic that was colored white misted around her hands and formed into a ball just between her hands. After a moment, she pushed her hands outward and made a sweeping motion with her arms. The magic left her hands and formed a shield around her and she grinned. "I think I'm getting it, Papa," she said, unable to keep the excitement out of her voice.

River Person chuckled. "It seems so, Kayla," he said, pride in his voice that she was picking up on the protective magics and reflective magics so quickly. She was mostly focusing on the protective magics right then, wanting to master them before trying to tackle the reflective magics. She even learned that calling up the magic wasn't difficult and it didn't involve words. It involved actions and what she was wanting to do.

For example, if she wanted to create a shield, she had to either feel threatened or have a want to protect someone else and her hands would glow and she could put up a shield. She had even tried putting a shield around an attacking enemy, which River Person had stepped in to be and he was surprised when she had done that, but had been pleased as well. "That would definitely throw an attacker off," he said.

Kayla even went for distance and found she could keep a shield up for a good few minutes, which would give her time to get away. She even learned teleporting, which was difficult in itself, but she kept at it, making her father proud of her.

The reflective magic was a little trickier because she was looking to reflect attacks to either land elsewhere, stop or slow her attacker, or pin her attackers to the trees or the ground with their own weapons without causing them harm. Kayla tried to take control of attacks with telekinesis or by swiping one hand to act like she had a huge invisible bat and was batting away the attacks.

River Person had again stepped in to help and his cloak was a little singed and torn from where his daughter had been successful in her endeavors. "You're doing good, Kayla," he said proudly. "But how about a break? I'm not sure my cloak can handle any more hits."

"Aw, come on, Papa. I'm on a roll here," she said, grinning.

One thing that had become apparent was that Kayla was no longer being very shy. She was still wary about strangers, but the fear that once held her had vanished after she had been in her father's care and had met Grillby, who was now like an uncle to her. "You definitely are, my little one," River Person said. "But still, I need to figure some new strategies for you."

"Aw, come on. If you do that, how will I beat you?"

From the playful voice she was using, he knew she was just messing around and he moved a hand, catching her by surprise with his telekinetic magic and she landed with a soft 'Oof' in the snow and he towered over her. "Are you saying I'm not on my A-game?" He asked as he began tickling her.

"EEEEEK! PAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAPA!" Kayla protested, but he knew she wasn't really protesting the tickle torture. When he had tickled her the other day, she had asked about it and he had explained it and told her it was one way of showing affection. While fatherly affection was one that Kayla wasn't overly familiar with, she did enjoy when River Person would show her affection and often would say something sassy to get tickled.

He now chuckled at seeing his daughter squirming in the snow. "I'm always on my A-game and no little student is going to best me," he said teasingly, making Kayla laugh harder before she suddenly slipped out of his grasp and tackled him. Catching her, he caught her in a gentle bear hug, but she squirmed and tried to pin him again, which didn't work because he again caught her in a bear hug and gave her a playful noogie, making her giggle again.

Finally, he let her up and she laughed, feeling a lot happier than when she had first been pushed down here in the underground.

One day, before practice, River Person decided to see what his daughter's main trait was. "I'm going to examine your soul," he said to her.

"You mean we're going to be in a FIGHT sequence?" She asked, looking worried.

"No," he said reassuringly, knowing she didn't like to fight. "I will simply draw it out. It should be painless if you relax and fully trust me."

"I trust you, Papa," Kayla said. "Are you sure it won't hurt?"

He shook his head. "Just relax and don't fight when you feel my magic," he said soothingly.

Nodding, the twelve-year-old took a deep breath, relaxing as she felt her father's magic surround her. He had used his magic before like this to demonstrate how being wrapped in magic felt, so she wasn't alarmed. Plus, feeling his magic wrap gently around her made her feel safe. She felt a very gentle tug then and looked to see a heart floating above River Person's hand. Its colors were a mixture of orange and yellow with the color blue outlining the heart. "Is that…?" She started to ask.

He nodded. "Yes," he said.

"What does it mean?"

River Person smiled at her curious tone. "It means that bravery and justice are your main traits and they are tempered with patience," he explained.

Kayla had a doubtful look on her face. "Well, I don't know about the first two traits, but I do try to be patient," she admitted. "But that can be difficult sometimes."

She saw him smile at her. "While it can be, I see not only patience in you, but also bravery and justice too. With learning both reflective and protective magics, you're getting stronger."

She went up to him and hugged him, feeling reassured when he returned her hug, holding her and rubbing her back gently. "I hope I won't have to use my magic, Papa," she admitted. "But if I'm faced with Undyne…then I'll have no choice but to defend myself."

"Which is why I wanted you to have some way to protect yourself," he said. "If I'm unable to be there to protect you, you'll at least have a means to get away from someone who is threatening you. Just be very careful when you use your magic."

"I will, Papa," she promised as they went into practicing and sparring with her learning a bit more about her protective and reflective magics.

But little did she know that her learning had attracted the attention of a certain skeleton.

* * *

 **Oh, boy! Looks like another monster is getting curious. What skeleton has Kayla caught the attention of? Will he be friend or foe? Stay tuned to find out! :)**

 **And please leave a review, but no flames!**

 **GoldGuardian2418**


	5. Jokes To Friends

**Chapter 5: Jokes To Friends**

Kayla opened the door to Grillby's restaurant and went in, spying the fire monster wiping down the counter. The place was currently empty, so she went up and gave him a hug. "Hi, Uncle Grillby," she said with a smile.

"Hello, Kayla," he said warmly, hugging her back. Ever since he had protected her from Undyne, the young girl saw him as an uncle. River Person had been pleased when Kayla had asked him if he'd be alright with her calling his best friend her uncle and Grillby had been shocked, but welcomed Kayla with open arms.

She now sat down. "The lunch crowd left?" She asked.

"Yes. It was a small one today," he said, wiping the counter. "How are your magic lessons coming?"

"Good," she said, a smile in her voice. "I think I've got the protective magic down, but I still need some practice with the reflective magic."

"That's good to hear," he said. "Your father has been bragging about you and how you're a quick learner."

She ducked her head shyly. "I try to be," she admitted modestly.

Just then, a skeleton appeared beside Kayla. She just barely kept herself from jumping in alarm and letting out a shout, pretending to look at the menu in front of her. "Hey, you're new, aren't ya?" She heard him ask. "Human."

Kayla held back her reaction just in time and stayed still, but then felt a tug at her heart and gasped at realizing he was drawing out her soul. She had no choice now, because he knew she was human.

Quickly, she turned and put up a barrier around herself and Grillby, hoping she could do both protective and reflective magic at the same time. She hadn't tried it before, which she knew was dangerous, but she had no choice.

Sans noticed the protective magic and the barriers and grew curious, calling up some bones and throwing them at her. Whimpering, Kayla threw out a hand with reflective magic, catching the bones and making them hit the floor instead of her. While she succeeded, it was draining her and she was scared. "Papa," she whispered softly, hoping he'd come, because she didn't know if she could last much longer.

Now very curious about this human, Sans again called up some bones and threw them at her, but the result was the same. "Why are you only deflecting my attacks?" He asked.

Kayla swallowed hard. "Because I don't want to hurt you," she said. "And I don't want to fight."

Narrowing his eye sockets, the skeleton called up a Gaster Blaster, to which Kayla gasped in fright and her magic began to fail. "Kayla, run!" Grillby urged, calling up his fire magic.

The young girl did as she was told, but before she could reach the door, something grabbed the back of her cloak and held it firmly, making it impossible for her to escape. "Papa! Help!" She screamed, hoping he'd hear her as she struggled, but was lifted up off the floor and brought back over to the bar.

Grillby came around the counter, facing his friend. "Sans, let Kayla go," he said firmly.

"Never took you to harbor a human, Grillbz," the skeleton said.

"I wasn't, but she is my niece and if you force me to, I will fight you to keep her safe."

"Uncle Grillby, no," Kayla protested as she tried to get free of the Gaster Blaster that held her firmly.

Sans' left eye socket glowed blue. "Well, then, guess there is no choice," he said.

"Wait!"

Hearing the young girl cry out, they turned to her and she looked at the skeleton. "Please, leave Uncle Grillby out of this," she pleaded.

He came closer to her. "Why are you so concerned about him?" He asked.

"Because he accepts me as family, even though I'm human."

He wasn't expecting that answer and his right hand glowed blue. "Let's have a look at your soul," he said.

She whimpered in fear as his blue magic surrounded her. "Sans, no!" Grillby cried out, but was frozen in place by the skeleton's telekinesis.

Sans then turned his attention to Kayla. "You fight my magic and it's going to be painful," he said. "Just relax and let me see."

"Please, don't!" She pleaded with him, tears in her eyes.

He sighed and moved closer to her. "Kid, there's something about you," he said. "I can sense it, but I need to be sure. The only way to do that is the check your soul. Now, stop struggling. It won't hurt. But if you don't stop fighting my magic, I'll have no choice but to knock you unconscious, and believe me, that's too much effort."

Grillby grunted, unable to move. "Sans, don't you dare hurt her!" He growled. "Swear to me that all you're going to do is check her soul and nothing more. River Person will not be pleased if she is harmed."

Sans looked at his friend. "River Person?" He asked. "Why would he be…wait, he's taken this human in?"

"Yes," the fire monster said. "She's his daughter."

Kayla saw the skeleton look at her and he moved his hand, removing her hood and seeing her black hair and her dark eyes along with her face. "So you are human, yet River Person adopted you," he said. "How long have you been down here?"

"A few months," she replied, tears streaming from her eyes as she was still afraid.

A skeletal hand gently brushed over her face, catching the tears and he sighed. "Kid, let me see your soul?" He asked. "I promise I won't hurt you."

She gave him a fearful look and he sighed, releasing Grillby from his telekinesis. "Grillbz, can you help her calm down?" He asked.

Sensing the change in his friend, the fire monster came over to Kayla, taking her into his arms as the Gaster Blaster let her go but hovered nearby. "Sans, you promise no harm will come to her?" He asked.

"I swear, Grillbz," the skeleton said, placing a gentle hand on Kayla's shoulder.

Grillby looked at Kayla. "I've never known Sans to lie, Kayla," he said gently. "Don't be frightened."

She looked at him and then at Sans before nodding, tensing up when she felt the blue magic again. "Easy," Sans said, his voice coming out soft. "Just relax. It won't hurt."

The young girl took a deep breath and Grillby rubbed her back, to which she relaxed and the tug became gentler and the same heart she had seen before was soon in Sans' hands. "Wow," he said in surprise, his eyes wide. "No doubt about it. You're special, kid."

Grillby gasped softly. "Bravery and Justice," he said.

"Mixed with some patience," Sans said with a smile before releasing the heart and it went back to Kayla. "Okay, I can tell you're alright, kid, especially if a friend of mine adopted you."

She looked at him, her face unsure, but he smiled at her. "Hey, did you hear about the microwave and the refrigerator?" He asked.

Kayla was confused. "No, I didn't," she said. "What about them?"

"Well, Grillbz got into a heated argument with his refrigerator because it was claiming to be a microwave, but they're both cool now."

It only took a second, but then Kayla got the joke and a smile came to her face, but she managed to hold in her laughter. "Aw, come on. Only a smile?" Sans asked. "Wonder if this will _tickle your funny bone."_

With that, he began gently poking her side and she squeaked, squirming to get away, but he kept it up. Grillby shook his head with a smile, but held her as Sans kept up the gentle poking, teasing the girl the whole time.

"Come on," the skeleton said, grinning. "Let's hear a laugh."

Giggles started to erupt out of her from his teasing and he leaned close to her ear. "Cootchie, cootchie, coo," he whispered teasingly.

A laugh finally escaped her and she scrunched up her neck to protect her ears. "Cut it out!" She protested without heat as her laughter made it impossible for her to sound serious.

"Well, would you look at that, Grillby," Sans said. "Her ears are ticklish."

"So it seems," the fire monster said before Kayla squealed as the two tickled her ears for a bit before stopping, letting her rest. Sans then gently ruffled her hair before he and Grillby helped her up.

"Feel better?" The skeleton asked.

Kayla nodded. "Thanks," she said. "For a moment, I thought you were like Undyne."

"Nah, too much work to bring a human to her," he said. "Though my bro might or might not, depending."

That didn't completely reassure her, but she pulled her hood up all the same and she and Sans sat down at the bar with Grillby getting her a cup of golden tea to help restore her strength and Sans a bottle of ketchup. The skeleton smirked. "Looks like you were on fire earlier, Grillbz," he said jokingly.

Grillby rolled his eyes, but smiled when he heard and saw Kayla laughing. "Are you a master jokester?" She asked him.

"You bet, kid," he said. "No one's got more jokes and puns than me."

She giggled again. "So, River Person adopted you, huh?" The skeleton asked her.

She nodded. "He saved me after I nearly drowned," she said. "After…After my…foster parents threw me down here."

Sans paused, his face a look of shock. "Kid, you were…thrown down here?!" He asked. "Why?"

Kayla shrugged. "They didn't want me," she said softly. "I fell in the river not long after and Papa saved me and took me in."

The skeleton shook his head. "That's sad," he said. "Humans are still not totally accepting, are they?"

"I haven't met too many who are," she replied, hanging her head.

Sans sighed and gently rubbed her back. "Hey, do you like living with River Person?" He asked, deciding to talk about a happier subject.

She nodded. "He's like the father I always wanted," she said.

Sans glanced toward the door, seeing River Person come in and catch Kayla's statement. "And I bet you're like the daughter he always wanted," he said, indicating towards the door and she turned to find the very monster who had taken her in standing there.

"Papa!" She exclaimed, running up to him and hugging him.

River Person looked at Sans. "I sense your magic, Sans," he said quietly. "What happened here?"

"Just got curious about your daughter," the skeleton replied. "By the way, she's really good with her reflective and protective magics, but a word to the wise, kid," he said, now looking at Kayla. "Don't use both like that again until you've practiced using them together. Doing so without training can cause an explosion. Thankfully, because you had used one first and then tried to call up the other, it didn't backfire on you."

"Sans, you engaged my daughter in a fight?" River Person asked.

"Not a fight per say, but tested her reactions. She was eager to protect Grillby and to reflect my attacks."

Kayla snuggled in her father's embrace. "He also wanted to see my traits," she said. "But he didn't hurt me, Papa."

Grillby nodded. "Sans would never strike a young child unless provoked," he said. "Kayla was trying to get away from him."

The cloaked being sighed. "Sans, that means you know Kayla's secret," he said.

"Yes, but I'll keep her secret," he said. "She's a good kid and she proved herself to be a good person. You have my word I won't tell her secret to anyone."

"Thank you," River Person said gratefully before indicating he and Kayla should get home. She grinned and turned to Sans.

"I'll have some good jokes for you next time," she said.

"I'm looking forward to that," he said. "I'm sure you'll not only _tickle my funny bone,_ but knock my slippers off too."

She giggled as River Person and Grillby both chuckled, peace settling over them all.

* * *

 **Well, Kayla's made a new friend. :)**

 **Next up: Kayla has a run in with the Royal Dogs. Will she gain them as friends? Stay tuned. :)**

 **Please leave a review, but no flames!**

 **GoldGuardian2418**


	6. Fun With The Dogs

**Chapter 6: Fun With The Dogs**

Kayla had just left Grillby's and was about to head for home when she ran into Lesser Dog, who stopped her and seemed very curious. Swallowing hard, the twelve-year-old tried to calm down and offered her hand out. "Good boy," she said softly, hoping to appease him.

He sniffed her hand and nudged it with his nose, to which she began patting him. Suddenly, she noticed his neck was getting longer. This made her curious as she kept petting him and slowly but surely, his neck got longer and longer and his tail wagged like crazy. Taking this as a sign that he loved being petted, Kayla continued petting him until his neck shrank again and he licked her face happily before trotting off, leaving the confused girl behind. "Well, that's not something you see every day," she said to herself and continued walking.

The other Dog Guards also appeared and Kayla thought fast, seeing these ones wouldn't be so appeased with petting right away, so she picked up some sticks and whistled as if she was calling for her own dog. Hearing the whistle, the dogs looked at her and one began barking happily as he saw the sticks. "Come on! Ready to play fetch?" Kayla called sweetly.

Greater Dog was eager and ran forward as the girl threw the stick and he chased after it. She then pulled out some tennis balls and the dogs were all excited to play. Kayla giggled and used her telekinesis, a new power she had learned, to levitate the sticks and balls and throw them, giggling as she watched the guards act like very playful dogs.

As she was playing with them, Kayla noticed a tall skeleton coming down the path and he stopped, watching the scene of the dogs playing ball and fetch curiously. Smiling to herself, she went up to him. "Hi!" She said in a friendly voice.

The skeleton turned to her. "Hello!" He said in greeting, seeming happy to greet a new person. "May the Great Papyrus ask who you are?"

"The Great Papyrus?" She asked before realization hit her. "Oh! It's you!"

The skeleton was a bit surprised by her exclamation and she giggled. "You have a brother called Sans, right?" She asked.

"Yes, I do!" He said before he beamed. "Oh, you must be River Person's new daughter! Sans told me that the River Person had a daughter he had adopted!"

"That's me," Kayla said, though she got a bit worried. "What did Sans tell you about me?"

"That you are peaceful and a good person."

The twelve-year-old let out a sigh of relief. Sans had kept his promise and not told anyone that Kayla was a human, but had obviously told his brother about his new friend. Papyrus grinned. "Sans has told me a lot about you, how you laugh at his jokes, though I don't know how. They're _bone dry."_

It took a few seconds to click, but when it did, Kayla burst out laughing. "Because his jokes are funny," she said. "As was the one you just pulled. That was a good one."

"You really think so?" The tall skeleton asked, looking pleased with himself before he noticed the dogs come over and he looked worried. Kayla grabbed the sticks and the balls and tossed them again, watching the dogs run after them.

"The dogs are really fun," she said with a smile in her voice. "Look how they have so much fun playing fetch."

Papyrus looked uncomfortable. "Um…I haven't had good experiences with dogs," he admitted. "One always tries to steal my special attacks."

She giggled. "Probably just wants to play with you," she said before seeing some puppies ambling towards her in the snow. "Awww! Look! Puppies!"

She kneeled down as the puppies came up to her. "Oh, my word! They're so cute!" She exclaimed, petting them and looking up at Papyrus. "Aren't they adorable?"

The skeleton had to admit, despite being dogs, the puppies were very cute. He kneeled down beside Kayla, who was holding the pups and petting them, to which the puppies were happy for the attention. Dogaressa came up to them and gently barked, to which the puppies turned to her and yipped excitedly. "Sorry," she said. "I hope my puppies weren't a bother."

"Oh, no, not at all," Kayla responded reassuringly. "I love puppies and your puppies are absolutely adorable."

"I must agree with my new friend," Papyrus said. "I hope your pups will grow strong and well."

"Thank you, Papyrus," the mother said gratefully. "They certainly are little bundles of energy."

Kayla laughed as the puppies playfully pounced on her, eager for some more attention as puppies wanted and she happily gave it, thinking about how when she was a foster child she had wanted a dog for a pet. Sadly, she couldn't as she had been a foster kid, but now, perhaps when they were freed she could finally have a dog. She'd have to ask her father about that.

Doggo came up to them, his fur fluffed with pride at his puppies and he looked at Kayla. "Could you throw the ball again?" He asked, his tail wagging happily.

The girl complied, tossing the ball, which Doggo chased after and the pups followed after him, barking excitedly as they ran. Dogaressa laughed heartily. "They love following their father," she said.

Papyrus looked at Kayla. "You're Kayla, right?" He asked, remembering Sans mentioning the girl's name the other day.

"Yes," she said with a smile, holding out a hand. "Pleased to meet you, Papyrus."

"I'm pleased to meet you, Kayla," he said with a smile too. "Could you show me how you threw that ball?"

"Sure."

Sans was nearby and he smiled at the somewhat silly, but cute scene. Kayla was having a blast and so was Papyrus and the dog guards seemed to be enjoying themselves too. Suddenly, the puppies came at Kayla again and gently knocked her over, making her laugh.

But her laughter stopped and the merriment ended when her hood fell away, revealing that she was a human to not only the Royal Guard, but to the Royal Guard hopeful as well.

* * *

 **Uh-oh! Kayla's secret has been revealed! Can she survive a FIGHT with not only the guard dogs but with Papyrus as well? Stay tuned to find out! :)**

 **And please leave a review, but no flames!**

 **GoldGuardian2418**


	7. Bravery Shining Through

**Chapter 7: Bravery Shining Through**

The five Royal Guard dogs stood to attention and activated the FIGHT sequence. Kayla's face fell. "No!" She protested. "I don't want to fight you!"

"I'm afraid you have to," Dogaressa said, though her voice was soft.

"Humans must be brought to Undyne or the King," Doggo said.

Dogamy was saddened, but pulled out his weapons, as did Lesser Dog and Greater Dog. Kayla had tears in her eyes, seeing there was no way around this and worst of all, Papyrus was standing there, looking shocked and he had a long femur bone in his hands, ready to battle Kayla after the battle.

"I don't want to fight," she repeated. "Please."

"You have no choice," Greater Dog said.

With that, weapons began swinging from the dogs and Kayla jumped back, pulling up her hood and her hands glowed with her reflective magic. Spinning and throwing up her hands, she warded off the attacks, but knew she had to conserve her energy and think fast.

Papyrus was watching Kayla and noticed her fearful expression, which made him wonder if she had been in a fight with monsters before. She certainly looked like she didn't want to fight and her magic was unusual, reflecting back attacks. This made him even more curious as the pups gathered behind him, looking a bit fearful themselves.

Sans hid nearby, seeing Kayla was afraid and she was doing her best to keep her reflective magic going and possibly use her protective magic. "Hang on, kid," he whispered, the wind carrying his voice to her. "You can do it. You're very smart. Use your magic wisely but be careful. It can drain you. Try to use what knowledge you have in this battle and take on the dogs one at a time. They won't gang up on you if you're battling one of them. They'll wait until either you or their companion win."

Tears had gathered in Kayla's eyes, but as she heard Sans' encouraging words, she took a deep breath, calling up her protective magic and then her reflective magic, either mixing them up or using them in tandem, something she had been working on and River Person helped her with. Sans grinned, seeing that the girl was using the magics very carefully and in tandem. "Good job, kid."

As the magics became a bit easier for Kayla to call up, she became a bit more confident and remembered that Lesser Dog loved being petted and then she remembered most dogs loved belly rubs. "Well, it's worth a shot if I can get close enough," she said to herself.

Moving rapidly, she reflected another attack from Lesser Dog and slid underneath him, reaching up and starting to rub his belly, hoping he'd stop and perhaps flop over. The moment she began rubbing his belly, he stopped and cocked his head to the side before suddenly flopping over, panting happily and one of his back legs began shaking. Kayla giggled at seeing that and continued rubbing his belly, seeing him drop his weapons and grin as she continued.

Kayla sighed in relief and decided to keep it up until the spare option came up and Sans chuckled from his hiding place. "Not only smart, but brave too," he said to himself. Usually when fighting the dogs, not many were willing to get close to try and use something a dog loved to get them to stop fighting. But the girl was proving she was brave and wanting to make friends instead of fighting.

Lesser Dog was happy with the belly rub and spared her, which filled the girl with relief and she hit the spare option too, but then she turned to the other four dogs and Papyrus, all silent reminders that the battle wasn't over yet. Quickly, she pulled out some candy and ate it, feeling her strength returning and she turned to face the others. Dogamy charged next and Kayla quickly ducked, jumping onto his back and quickly began scratching his back.

Unexpectedly, he flopped down, making her yelp in surprise at the sudden movement, but she kept up the gentle scratching and he was panting happily after a moment. "Oh, down a little," he requested and she moved her hands down a bit and he sighed in happiness, laying flat in the snow. Kayla couldn't help gigging a little at his funny antics and she felt relief that the back scratch tactic worked, but she still had three more dogs and Papyrus to battle.

Dogamy soon arched his back and she carefully jumped off. "Did you like that?" She asked him.

"Yes," he said. "I haven't had a good back scratch in a while. Do you think I could have one from you now and again?"

"Sure," she agreed.

Happy, Dogamy spared her and she spared him and turned to the others. "Two down, four to go," she said to herself.

Sans decided to see about giving Kayla some hints and saw Greater Dog coming towards the girl. "Greater Dog is really a big softie," he whispered. "Comment on his armor and see if you can give him an ear scratch."

Observing battles and the fighters had come in handy for Sans, so he knew what the dogs liked and what could get them to stop fighting and perhaps spare their opponent, especially if the opponent didn't want to fight. Kayla, hearing Sans' words as the wind carried them to her, looked up at the large dog guard. "You look like a strong protector," she said to him. "The king must be very proud to have such a strong fighter willing to be one of his royal guard."

Greater Dog seemed quite pleased with her flattery. "I am one of the strongest," he said.

Kayla smiled. "I'm sure you are," she said, moving closer slowly. "Strong. Willing to defend the kingdom. Bravely standing against enemies and not letting any fear show. No doubt enemies feel intimidated and think twice about their actions when facing you."

The dog's fur fluffed out in pride. "I have scared away many an intruder," he said, which was true and stood proudly with his head high. "They take one look at me and flee."

Seeing she was close enough, Kayla reached up and began gently scratching his neck. Surprised, he turned to her, but then leaned into her hand. "Would you scratch me ears?" He asked hopefully.

She saw she wasn't quite tall enough. "I'd love to, but I can't quite reach them," she said.

Greater Dog spotted a tree stump nearby and pointed to it. "That tree stump might help," he said.

"Good idea."

With that, she went over and climbed up on the stump, which gave her the right height to now scratch Greater Dog's ears and she began doing that, making him pant happily and lean his head into her hand, making her giggle.

 _They're really just like normal dogs,_ she thought to herself. _They love attention and belly rubs, back scratches, and ear scratches._

Sans chuckled again. "She's doing really good," he said with a nod.

Greater Dog spared Kayla and she too spared him before facing Doggo and had an idea. One thing she knew a father loved was being told praise about his children or how he was raising them. She smiled. "Your children are absolutely adorable," she said. "I've never seen such cuter puppies than them."

Hearing that, Doggo felt his pride swell. "They are one of the best things that ever happened to me," he said. "Along with my beautiful wife."

Kayla smiled again. "A strong knight she adores and knows her children will grow up to be just like their father, proud and strong."

That tickled Doggo's ego and he grinned. "I do my best," he answered modestly.

Another smiled came to her face. "You definitely have," she responded.

Liking her praise, Doggo spared her and with a deep breath, Kayla turned to Dogaressa, unsure about how to battle the mother, but just then, the female guard dog surprised her. "You defeated my associates with cleverness and without harming them and you even stopped my husband from attacking you. You're a very clever human," she said.

"Thank you," the girl said. "I do try."

Dogaressa looked curious. "Did you really mean that you had never seen cuter pups than my own?" She asked.

"Yes," Kayla responded honestly. "They are very adorable."

With a nod, Dogaressa spared her. "Perhaps there are some good humans after all," she said, walking away, calling her pups to follow as they caught up with the rest of the Royal Guard.

Kayla now looked over at Papyrus, who looked unsure about battling her, but then sighed, giving her an apologetic look and activating the FIGHT.

The girl felt her heart drop in fear, having hoped that in proving herself with battling the dogs, the skeleton would change his mind, but it seemed that wasn't the case. She had to get through to him another way.

And she had to think fast as Papyrus' attacks started flying towards her.

* * *

 **Oh, dear! Can Kayla convince Papyrus that they can be friends too? Stay tuned to find out! :)**

 **And please leave a review, but no flames!**

 **GoldGuardian2418**


	8. Can We Be Friends?

**Chapter 8: Can We Be Friends?**

Papyrus' attacks were different than what Kayla had experienced before when she had battled Sans, but she still used her wits and jumped over bones or ducked. Also, when he did something unexpected, like dabbing cologne onto his skull or something else silly, she couldn't help giggling at his antics. Her giggling caught the skeleton's attention.

"Why are you laughing?" He asked her curiously.

She smiled, now getting an idea as to how to end this FIGHT sequence. "Your antics are amusing to me," she admitted. "I like people who make me laugh."

That made Papyrus pause and he looked at her. "How...How do I make you laugh?" He asked, looking very curious now.

Kayla smiled. "When you've sent out some of your attacks, I noticed that the bones formed the words 'Cool Dude', which is not only really neat, but I think is true about you, and your facial expressions when you realized you were putting cologne behind your ears, but you don't have ears," she replied, giggling a bit more.

The tall skeleton looked very deflated at that and looked at her. "Do...Do you think me to be a laughingstock then?" He asked, looking downtrodden.

At that question, the girl's giggles died and she looked shocked at his question. "What?" She asked in shock. "No! No, of course not!"

But not even her vehement denials made Papyrus feel better. "Maybe I'm no good at being a Royal Guard trainee," he said, looking at the ground. "Perhaps that's why I can't seem to get into the Royal Guard, though I try really hard."

Kayla was growing more curious and she didn't like how this skeleton, who she could plainly see had a big heart under all his enthusiasm to be a Royal Guard, was looking like someone had just told him his dreams were worthless and that he wasn't worth training. She was quiet, as was Sans, as Papyrus continued voicing his doubts.

"I want to make Undyne proud," the tall skeleton continued. "I want to show her that I'm a good, loyal trainee and worthy to be one of the Royal Guard just like her, but...how can I be when I can't even strike fear into a human?"

The young girl decided that she had to say something, otherwise she was going to start crying right then and there because of how brokenhearted Papyrus sounded and she didn't like it when someone else was sad. She took a deep breath. "Why do you feel you have to strike fear into a human?" She asked him. "The Underground is a scary enough place for someone from the surface."

She then paused and looked earnestly at him. "Why can't we be friends? I prefer friendship over fighting."

The skeleton looked at her. "Why would you want to be friends with a loser like me?" He asked, his voice soft.

Kayla shook her head. "Papyrus, you're not a loser," she said with conviction. "You seem like a really genuine guy."

He was still looking at her, but his eyes widened a bit at her words and she smiled. "I've learned not to judge monsters by looks, but by actions," she said. "When I first came down here, I had been shoved down here by people who claimed I was part of their family, but in reality, they didn't want me. After I fell, I ran to find a place to hide, fearing that if the monsters down here found me, I'd be dead. But I fell into the river and would have died if it hadn't been for River Person. He saved me and proved that not all monsters are bad."

She paused a moment. "And now he's my dad," she said. "One who cares about me and has helped me in my time down here. Because of him, I've met Grillby and your brother Sans, both who have proven that they're not bad monsters, just as you have been trying to prove to me just now."

"What do you mean?" He asked her.

She smiled again. "I can tell that you really don't want to hurt me," she said. "And that's one of the things that makes you likable."

Papyrus' eyes widened. "You...You like me?" He asked. "Like...a friend?"

She nodded. "You're funny in a good way, you look like you just want a friend, and you're genuine," she said. "How could anyone not like a cool guy like you?"

The skeleton's eye actually watered at that, as did Sans as he listened to the kid who was proving that his brother was worthy of her friendship and that she would love to be friends with him. "No wonder Grillby's so fond of her, and River Person is so proud of her," he said to himself. "This kid is worth it and just maybe can help us get to the surface and help ease our transition into the surface world."

Kayla now looked at Papyrus with earnest. "Can we be friends, Papyrus?" She asked hopefully.

He nodded. "I'd like that," he said, sparing her and ending the FIGHT.

Sighing in relief, she spared him before going up to him and hugging him happily. He gladly returned the hug before looking worried. "Undyne won't be happy, but I can't raise my hand against you, Kayla," he admitted.

She looked up at him. "Papyrus, if Undyne chooses to not understand, then she doesn't deserve you as a friend," she said firmly. "A good friend always understands and doesn't judge."

He looked at her again. "Do I deserve friends?" He asked softly.

"Yes," she said, her voice sure. "You deserve friends."

To prove that, she reached her gloved hands forward and began tickling him, going for his ribs. Having known that her father knew about tickling as he had tickled her in sparring the other day and would sneak up behind her to tickle her to show how much he loved her as a daughter, she was curious if the monsters knew about tickling, especially where Sans and Grillby had tickled her when the girl had first met the joke-loving skeleton.

She wasn't disappointed. Papyrus squealed and laughed like crazy, squirming, but Kayla didn't let up, giggling as she continued tickling the tall skeleton's ribs before her hands moved to his spine. When her gloved hands touched the vertebrae, Papyrus' eyes bugged out so comically that she had to laugh as she then tickled his spine.

"NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH! NOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!" He pleaded, a good sign that the girl had found his major tickle spot. She giggled.

"Looks like this skeleton has a very sensitive funny bone," she said, giggling when he squealed as she tickled his spine faster. He collapsed in the snow and she pounced on him. "Tickle, tickle, tickle! I've got you, Papyrus!"

The tall skeleton laughed like crazy before suddenly reaching up, catching Kayla in his arms and moving so that she was pinned down by him, albeit gently, and he raised his gloved hands to her, grinning the whole time. "Let's see if my new friend is ticklish," he said with a laugh before his hands moved to her stomach.

Kayla squealed in surprise before her laughter burst out of her and she squirmed, trying to push the mischievous skeleton's hands away, but he was relentless, chuckling as she laughed her hardest when he removed his gloves and moved her shirt up just enough to expose her belly button and his fingers wiggled mercilessly into her ticklish stomach.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" She laughed. "NOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO! NOHOHOHOT THAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAT!"

"Cootchie, cootchie, coo, Kayla," he cooed to her in a silly voice. "I've got you, my new ticklish little friend."

River Person was walking through Snowdin when he heard familiar laughter and followed it to find Papyrus and Kayla in a tickle fight as the young girl had managed to retaliate and the two seemed determined to out-tickle the other one. River Person chuckled as he watched, noticing his daughter's hood was away from her face and he could sense the Royal Guard Dogs' magic as well as Papyrus' magic. He moved towards Sans, who was watching the scene. "I sense a FIGHT took place," he said.

"Yeah, Kayla's hood fell off while she was playing with Doggo and Dogaressa's puppies and the dogs called up the FIGHT, but Kayla defeated them with flattery, belly rubs, ear scratches, and back scratches," the short skeleton said. "She's just convinced my bro that they can be friends."

"Is that why they are currently in a tickle fight?" The cloaked being asked, chuckling in amusement.

Sans chuckled. "Yup," he said, seeing the two finally stop the tickle fight with neither one as the victor, but they didn't seem to mind. Papyrus got his strength back and helped Kayla up, picking her up and hugging her warmly before walking over to Sans and River Person.

Kayla grinned at seeing them. "Papa!" She said happily, reaching for him and he accepted her from the tall skeleton, hugging her as she hugged him before looking at Sans. "I heard you when I was battling the dogs. Thanks for the tips."

"You're welcome," he said with a wink. "You're very smart, kid."

"Thanks," she said softly.

River Person looked at Papyrus. "Papyrus...I know this must not be easy for you," he began.

"Never fear, River Person," Papyrus said, smiling. "I'd rather have a genuine friend than be in the Royal Guard. I won't bring Kayla to Undyne, nor will I say a word to Undyne."

"Good, thank you."

Kayla looked at him. "Does this mean you'll keep my secret?" She asked.

He nodded. "As a good best friend, I will keep your secret, Kayla," he promised before shyly holding out a pinkie finger. Seeing this, the twelve-year-old smiled and gently hooked her pinkie finger around his, thus not only cementing their friendship, but as a sign of trust. Kayla hugged the tall skeleton again, happy to have him as a friend.

River Person was also happy that his daughter had made another friend and more, though he did hope word of this wouldn't reach Undyne, because if it did, the fish woman would come after Kayla.

The cloaked being made a silent promise that if it came down to that, he would be beside his daughter in an instant to protect her from Undyne.

* * *

 **Well, looks like Kayla has another friend she can count on, but will Undyne find out about her? Stay tuned to find out!**

 **And please leave a review, but no flames!**

 **GoldGuardian2418**


	9. Facing Undyne

**Chapter 9: Facing Undyne**

Undyne threw her spear in anger. "I can't believe it!" She yelled, her voice echoing.

The reason for her anger: Alphys had shown her video of a human in the Underground and of the Royal Guard Dogs not capturing the girl and to add insult to injury, Papyrus too had not captured her and hadn't told Undyne about the girl.

The fish woman growled. "Why did those fools not capture her?" She asked no one in particular. "She's the last human we need and they're making friends with her! And Papyrus! I should have known training him was a waste of time!"

She began marching for Snowdin, intending to find the human and chew Papyrus and the Guard Dogs out for not capturing the girl.

* * *

Kayla was currently with River Person, who was teaching her a new magic. "I know you don't want to land a blow that could hurt someone, but if it came down to you getting away, you should at least be able to deliver a non-lethal blow," he said.

"Papa, I really hope I won't have to," the twelve-year-old girl said. "I don't want to hurt anyone."

"I know, little one," he said gently. "But you need something in case I, Grillby, or the skeleton brothers aren't there to help you or to defend you."

She couldn't argue with him on that and took to learning the magic, practicing and making sure she landed non-lethal blows, something that thankfully she became good at. River Person nodded, pleased.

Just then, they saw Sans and Papyrus coming towards them with smiles and Kayla hugged them and they returned the hug before River Person told Kayla she could go visit Grillby, to which she headed off with a wave.

The three began chatting about Kayla. "She's getting stronger," Sans said.

"Yes, she is," River Person said proudly.

However, before anyone could say anything else, Undyne stomped up to Papyrus, who turned in surprise, having not been expecting her. "Hello, Undyne," he said, smiling. "I thought you had a meeting with the king."

"I did, until I found that we had been betrayed," she growled and pointed her spear at him. "I just found out that you and the Royal Guard Dogs ran into a human, but none of you brought that human to me or the king."

The tall skeleton took a step back and River Person stood taller behind the brothers, who were shielding him from the fish woman. "What human are you talking about, Undyne?" Papyrus asked, hoping she wouldn't see through his act.

She glared at him. "You know very well who I'm talking about!" She yelled. "You couldn't even defeat her in battle! You are so weak and stupid, Papyrus!"

Those words hurt the tall skeleton and Sans stepped forward, his left glowing blue while his right eye vanished. "You're a horrible captain, Undyne," he said, his voice low with anger. "Stay away from us."

She glared at him. "You're all keeping us trapped here!" She exploded at them. "We need one more human to be free and that human is the one to free us! And I'm going to take her to Asgore!"

She pointed her spear at the two skeletons and the cloaked being, who raised his hands as light purple magic swirled around his fingers. "No, you won't," River Person said, his voice hard with anger. "You're not taking my daughter anywhere, you sorry excuse for a captain."

A sharp clash of green, blue, and purple magic filled the air as Sans and River Person began fighting Undyne, who growled and charged at them, fighting with all her might. Seeing this, Papyrus waited until he was sure Undyne didn't see him and he ran for Snowdin. He had to warn Kayla that Undyne knew about her. As he ran, a few tears ran down his skull at the harsh words Undyne had yelled at him. He had tried to be a good trainee for her, but he refused to hurt Kayla. She was not only his best friend, but had shown him that fighting wasn't the only way to solve a conflict. As he ran, he hoped she made it to Grillby's and was safe there.

 _At the fire monster's restaurant..._

"Papa had me learn a new magic today," Kayla told Grillby. "He said in case I had to get away fast, I could deliver a non-lethal blow."

The fire monster nodded. "That would be a good defense," he said.

"Yeah, but I really hope I won't have to use it," she said. "I don't want to hurt anyone and I don't want to fight."

Seeing the conflict that his niece was struggling with, Grillby placed his hands comfortingly over hers. "Kayla, your father is simply worried about your safety, like I am," he said gently. "We know you don't want to fight anyone, but...not all the monsters are going to accept that like the Guard Dogs and Papyrus and Sans did."

She hated to admit it, but her uncle was right. What if she came across a monster that she couldn't convince and that she had to get away from. She sighed softly. "You're right," she said. "I just...I hope I won't have to use it."

"As do I, little one," the fire monster said gently.

The door suddenly flew open and Kayla pulled up her hood quickly before turning to see Papyrus stumble in and he closed the door before glancing around and his face taking on a look of relief at seeing Kayla sitting by the bar with Grillby. "Papyrus?" Kayla asked, jumping down from her seat and moving back her hood. "What is it? What's wrong?"

The tall skeleton pulled her into a tight hug, making her wheeze a little, but then she felt his shoulders shake and realized he was crying. She instantly wrapped her arms around him to return the hug and offer comfort, though she didn't know what had upset her friend so much. "Papyrus, what happened?" She asked worriedly. "Is Sans alright? Is someone hurt?"

He lifted his head up so he could see her face and more tears fell from his eyes. "It's Undyne," he said. "She knows about you."

Kayla's eyes widened. "How?" She asked.

"I don't know," he replied. "But she came up to your father, my brother, and I and yelled at us, calling me weak and stupid and saying that I couldn't defeat you in a battle."

Grillby came up to them. "Where is she now?" He asked, his voice taking on a firm tone.

"When I ran here to find Kayla, Undyne was battling Sans and River Person."

Kayla gasped. "Papa," she said worriedly.

The tall skeleton hugged the young girl as his shoulders shook again. "I don't know what to do," he admitted. "Kayla, I don't want to lose you as a friend."

"You won't lose me as a friend, Papyrus," she promised, her voice taking a comforting tone before she looked at Grillby. "Uncle Grillby, can you help Papyrus? I've got to go find Undyne and make her stop."

"No," Papyrus said, gripping his shoulders in both worry and fear. "She'll hurt you."

"Papyrus, I have to face her," the twelve-year-old girl said seriously. "Undyne's not going to stop hunting me until I face her and defeat her." She placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "I have to do this."

He gave her a worried look and then perked up a little. "I'll let you go only if you'll let me come with you and help you," he said. "Undyne is very powerful."

"He's right, Kayla," Grillby said with a nod.

She nodded. "Okay," she said, much to Papyrus' relief. "Show me where they are."

With that, the two headed out and Grillby decided to be on guard in case the battle didn't go well.

* * *

Undyne grunted as she charged at Sans, who called up a Gaster Blaster, making her dodge out of the way as she threw spears at River Person, who deflected them with defensive magic. "You're both fools!" Undyne said angrily and went to charge again, but a barrage of orange-glowing bones flew at her and pinned her to a tree, keeping her secure without causing her any injury. Sans and River Person looked to see Papyrus standing there with Kayla beside him and the girl had her hood down and she was glaring at the fish woman, as was the tall skeleton.

"I was a fool to admire you, Undyne," Papyrus said, his voice soft, but steely too.

"You're a bully who doesn't deserve friends, Undyne," Kayla said, her voice firm as she raised her hands, which was glowing a bright yellow as she advanced towards the trapped fish woman. Sans was about to step in to intervene, but River Person placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Wait," he said softly. "Trust Kayla."

The short skeleton nodded and they watched the young girl approach Undyne with both fists ready to strike, but suddenly, as she was a couple feet in front of the fish woman, Kayla lowered her hands. "No," she said. "I'm not a monster."

She looked Undyne in the eye. "While you wouldn't hesitate to hurt me, I'm different," she said. "I'm not a murderer like you."

Her words hit the blue-skinned monster hard and she growled. "Our race needs to be free," she said. "Humans will pay for our suffering."

"Would you kill innocent humans, especially babies, then?"

Undyne froze at that and the look on her face told Kayla that she had struck a nerve. "The humans responsible for trapping the monster race died years ago," she said. "And there's another way to free all of you, something I'm going to convince Asgore of."

River Person placed a hand on her shoulder. "And hopefully Asgore will be willing to listen," he said before glaring at Undyne. "I will give you only one warning, Undyne. Do not come after my daughter again or you will face my wrath and believe me, you don't want to face me when I'm angry."

With that, he turned away and Kayla looked at Papyrus, nodding. The tall skeleton waved a hand, making the bones holding Undyne disappear and she fell into the soft snow lightly, panting from exhaustion as Kayla came up to her, holding a water bottle out to her. "Not all humans are monsters," she said to the fish woman before walking way with Sans and Papyrus following her. The short skeleton then paused a moment and looked back at Undyne.

"Chose your actions carefully, Undyne," he said before vanishing and leaving the fish woman to ponder the battle and Kayla's words.

Was Kayla right? Undyne wondered that as she got up and decided to hold back on telling Asgore about Kayla for now. She was...curious to see what the kid would do.

* * *

 **Well, that was intense, huh? :)**

 **Can Kayla convince King Asgore there's another way? Maybe, but our journey doesn't end there. :)**

 **Please leave a review, but no flames!**

 **GoldGuardian2418**


	10. We're All The Same

**Chapter 10: We're All The Same**

"Papa, do you think King Asgore will listen to me if I go talk with him?" Kayla asked.

"I would hope he would, but I am concerned that he might not," River Person said. "I think I should pay him a visit and you remain here or go to Snowdin."

"But Papa, I'm not afraid to face the King," she protested.

"It's not that, my little one," he said gently. "I just fear that Asgore would hurt you and then I would lose you."

Kayla now saw her father was just worried for her safety. "But Papa, won't he be angry that you've been harboring a human?" She asked worriedly.

River Person lifted his hands, which were glowing with his purple magic. "If it comes down to a fight, then I will fight him to keep you safe," he vowed. "But I hope it doesn't."

"I hope so too," she said, hugging him. "Be careful, Papa."

"I will, my daughter," he said softly, gently kissing her forehead in affection. "I'll be back soon."

With that, he headed for the king's castle.

* * *

Asgore was in his garden, tending to the flowers with loving care and sighing softly. The flowers reminded him so much of his children and his heart ached as he thought about how Chara had died and then how the humans ruthlessly killed Asriel, who had just been trying to fulfill his sister's final wish. A gentle swishing behind him made him lift his head and he turned to find River Person behind him and he stood while the cloaked being bowed in respect.

"My King," he said, his voice respectful.

"River Person," the king said with a nod. "How are you?"

"I am well, Your Majesty," River Person said. "I was wondering if you were busy."

"No, not at all," Asgore said. "Come. I have tea ready."

As they sat down to tea, the cloaked being decided to ask a question. "How are you holding up, Your Majesty?" He asked gently.

Asgore sighed. "It has not been easy," he admitted. "I miss my children. And my best friend, Gaster. And...my wife."

River Person nodded softly. Gaster had been the scientist of the Underground and one of the king's very close friends and Toriel had left Asgore not long after the third child to have fallen into the mountain was killed. The king sighed. "I just need one more soul, but...I don't think I can bring myself to strike another human now. I haven't done so for the last two who fell. They died natural deaths."

The cloaked being nodded. "Asgore, my daughter, Kayla, feels there's another way to break the barrier," he said.

"Ah, the human you rescued?" The king asked, a gentle smile on his face. "Is she the reason Undyne was so quiet the other day?"

River Person was curious. "She was quiet?" He asked.

"Yes, even said someone had made her think that perhaps she was going about her duties wrong," Asgore said. "And Alphys has shown me the video of the girl when she battled the Royal Guard Dogs and Papyrus."

The cloaked being was worried now and tensed, but the goat king held up a hand. "Relax, my friend," he said. "I was intrigued by the battles and by how the girl handed the battles with her brain instead of her magic."

"Kayla does not like fighting," River Person said. "Due to her abusive past with her foster parents."

Asgore actually had tears in his eyes. "Just like with Chara," he said softly and then sighed. "I would have given my own life to save her."

"We all felt that way, Your Majesty," the cloaked being admitted. "She was our first hope that not all humans were closed-minded."

The king nodded and looked at him. "There is another way, as your daughter believes," he said. "But...why would a human want to work with me to break the barrier?"

"Kayla will," River Person said. "She's said as much."

Asgore looked thoughtful. "Even with her help, we'd still need one more human to help us," he said. "We may have to wait a bit."

"Then we shall," said his friend.

The king nodded. "For Kayla's sake, we must," he said.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kayla was with Papyrus, Sans, and Undyne as they had met up in Snowdin. "I'm glad you didn't want to fight me, Kayla," Papyrus said.

"Me too, Papyrus," she said with a smile.

Undyne looked unsure. "I'm still not very sure, but I'd rather learn more about you than face your father when he's angry, Kayla," she admitted.

Kayla smiled. "We're all the same, Undyne," she said gently. "Why, I'm no different than you guys."

"How do you figure?" Sans asked, curious about her answer.

"Well, you guys have hearts and feelings just like me," she said. "And humans have skeletons inside of them as their body frames and we all feel strongly about you guys being freed from this place."

Papyrus smiled and surprised her by lifting her up and spinning around with her over his head. She giggled at his antics. "Then there's hardly any difference at all between us!" He exclaimed happily.

"That's right," she said as the tall skeleton then hugged her happily.

Undyne chuckled at the scene. "Hey, Pap," she said. "Didn't I promise to show you one of my favorite moves?"

He beamed. "Yes, you did," he said. "Will you?"

"Of course," she said. She had already apologized to the tall skeleton who had readily forgiven her and they now headed off to do some training together while Kayla and Sans walked through Snowdin and the young girl took a deep breath.

"Sans, can I tell you something?" She asked.

"Of course," he said. "What's bugging you? Besides the bugs?"

She smiled at his joke before looking serious. "I've...been having this really odd dream lately," she said. "It's...It's like how I first fell, only a bit different."

"What do you mean?" Sans asked curiously.

"Well, when I first came down here, I fell into the river and Papa saved me," Kayla said. "But in this dream...I land after falling through the hole in the mountain and I start running as there's a shadowy figure behind me, but I can't make it out. It's just a very odd thing, but when I look at it, I feel afraid of it."

"Like you know it's dangerous but don't know how you know that?" The skeleton asked.

"Yeah," she said. "And I think to myself that I have to find Papa, but I can't remember where he is and I run to a place that looks like it's falling apart, like ruins. I run inside and I'm trying to call for help, but I can't cry out very loudly for some reason, but then I find a person standing in front of me."

Kayla paused. "It looks like a female goat and she's wearing a purple dress and she's looking at me with concern. I run to her and as I cling to her, I sense the shadowy figure getting closer, but then it vanishes as I'm clinging to the goat woman. She picks me up and asks me if I'm okay, but I don't respond. I kind of pass out and that's when I wake up from the dream."

Sans was quiet. "Sounds like your dream is taking place at the Ruins," he said. "It's the place right outside of Snowdin where the forest is."

She nodded. "And here's the weird part. Last night, I had the same dream, but I remembered what happened before and I was a bit more lucid as I ran to her and I asked her name and she answered me."

"What name?" The skeleton asked.

"Toriel," the girl replied. "Just like the Queen's name."

Sans stopped and looked at Kayla, his expression unreadable. "Kid, come with me," he said as they headed down the path.

Kayla sensed there was something up. "Sans? What is it?" She asked, pulling her hood up just in case they ran into a monster that she didn't know.

He looked at her. "I think I know who you see in your dream, kiddo," he said. "But...you haven't met Toriel yet, have you?"

"No," she said. "I learned of her when studying the history of the Underground from Papa's history books, but that was all."

They soon reached the door of the Ruins and Sans knocked. "Knock, knock," he said with a smile.

"Who's there?" Asked a feminine voice.

Kayla stiffened as the familiar voice came to her. Sans looked at her and looked at the door. "Raisin," he said.

"Raisin who?"

"You're _raisin_ my spirits high."

A giggle was the response and Kayla pushed back her hood. "Sans, that's her," she said. "It's her voice."

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"Yes, I'm sure," she said. "Toriel."

"Sans? Who is that?" Toriel asked.

"It's a human named Kayla," the skeleton responded. "River Person rescued her and adopted her as his daughter."

"Ah, I thought I had heard someone fall a few months ago," she said.

Kayla placed a hand on the door. "Miss Toriel, lately I've been having an odd dream and at first I thought it was a replay of when I had first come down here, but it's something else. When I land, something is after me and I run into the Ruins and meet you and I think you protect me from whatever is chasing me," she said.

Toriel listened. "But...we haven't met, my child," she said softly.

"What if...What if it's a vision?" The girl asked.

"She may be onto something, Tori," Sans said.

"Which means...there might be another child that might be falling down here soon," Toriel said, a note of fear in her voice.

Kayla felt fear too. "Miss Toriel?" She asked. "What if that does happen?"

"Then I'll protect that child fiercely," the goat woman answered.

Sans nodded. "We'll do the same," he said.

Kayla looked at him, her face worried. "Sans, are there...any dark, shadowy monsters that would chase someone down here?" She asked.

"Not that I know of," he replied. "Did a shadowy figure chase you when you were running and fell into the river?"

She shook her head. "No," she replied.

"We'll keep our eyes peeled then," he said seriously.

"Yes," Toriel said quietly.

Kayla closed her eyes, some tears threatening to fall. Sans gently pulled her into a hug, rubbing her back gently as he gazed into the woods and vowed that just like with Kayla, he would protect the child that the twelve-year-old was seeing in her vision, if it was a vision.

If it wasn't a vision and a child did fall with someone after her, then they were going to have to be alert and ready for anything.

* * *

 **Quite a twist, huh? :)**

 **Next chapter takes place five years later, but rest assured, the story isn't ready to end quite yet. :)**

 **Please leave a review, but no flames!**

 **GoldGuardian2418**


	11. Five Years Later

**Chapter 11: Five Years Later**

Five years had passed since Kayla had come to the Underground and River Person had adopted her. She was now a young girl of seventeen, knew reflective, protective, telekinetic, and fighting magics, and had been dating Napstablook for the past year. The usually-sad ghost seemed to perk up around Kayla and she always took time to help him through his bouts of depression.

At first it had begun with just Kayla helping Mettaton on set and one day, when Napstablook was having difficulty finding the music he had made for Mettaton's performance, Kayla had helped him look and they had found it. That, and Kayla's love for music, led the two to becoming friends and then boyfriend and girlfriend. He didn't mind she was a human since she was kind to him and listened to him. He did the same for her.

Kayla almost never wore her hood up anymore seeing as everyone in the Underground knew her and accepted her and she accepted them. Sans joked how she seemed to 'save' the Underground, to which she would say she hadn't, but he would point out that the other monsters felt hope that if a human could accept and befriend them, perhaps there were more like her on the surface.

"Not that I knew of, Sans," she had told him.

"Maybe because you only got a limited view of the people on the surface," he said gently, knowing of the abuse she endured and then to be thrown away like garbage by a family who claimed they had loved her. "And you're certainly not like them."

That was true, but Kayla didn't hold much hope that the surface world would be so accepting, though she wished it was possible. One night, she couldn't sleep and heard her father in the living room and got up out of bed, going to the living room. "Papa?" She called softly.

He looked up from a book in his hands. "Kayla, is something wrong?" He asked.

"I can't sleep," she answered.

He motioned her closer and she went up to him as he scooted over in his chair, which was large and plush, and Kayla sat down, leaning against her father's side. He wrapped an arm around her and began gently stroking her hair. "What's troubling you, my little one?" He asked.

Kayla was quiet a moment. "Papa, do you think there's people on the surface who will accept you guys and will be open-minded?" She asked.

River Person was quiet for a moment. They hadn't had this conversation in five years. "What brought that question on?" He asked.

"Sans and I were talking earlier and he said that I helped the monsters to have hope that there are good people on the surface, but I told him I hadn't seen any, and he said it was because I never got a chance to see that, due to being an orphan and then in that abusive family that threw me away," she said. "I think he's right about that, but...what if all humans are like that?"

"Well, you're not," he responded.

"That's different, Papa. You saved me from drowning," she protested lightly.

"Yes, but you could have easily rejected my help and run away when you had the chance, but you didn't," River Person said gently. "Because you wanted a parent and I wanted to prove that just because I'm called a monster doesn't mean I act like one."

Kayla couldn't rebuke that because it was true. "And you're the best father I've ever had," she said honestly. "I do hope someday the surface will be willing to accept you all."

"With young ones like you proving that we are the same no matter what, I'm sure that will happen," he said before noticing her eyes were drooping. "Are you feeling sleepy now?" He asked in amusement.

"A little," she admitted, snuggling into his side, making him chuckle as he lifted her into his lap and then stood up, carrying her back to her bedroom as she rested her head on his shoulder, falling asleep now. River Person gently tucked her into her bed and smiled, gently stroking her head in a fatherly manner.

"There are humans who are open-minded just like you, little one," he said. "And someday, we'll meet them. Someday."

He quietly left the room, hoping that that day would be soon. The monsters really did need to be free from the place that had been their prison for so long. A prison that had resulted from a senseless war because people were so close-minded back then and then when Prince Asriel had simply gone up to the surface world to grant Chara's last wish.

Chara. River Person remembered the adopted princess well. She had brought happiness to the king and queen and prince and even to the inhabitants of the Underground. He recalled when he had first begun learning about driving a boat on the river and giving people rides to their destinations. Chara and Asriel had been playing hide-and-seek and the young girl had hidden on his boat without him knowing it, so when he took a rabbit couple to Hotland, he hadn't realized the young girl was on board until she had popped up suddenly and looked terrified at not being in the same place as before. He had soothed her, promising to take her right to her family. He had tied his boat to the dock securely and carried her to the castle, where Asriel had returned in fear that he couldn't find his sister. Asgore had been about to send out the Royal Guard when River Person had entered with Chara safely in his arms. He had apologized to the king and queen, admitting he had no idea the princess had hidden on his boat in the game of hide-and-seek and they had forgiven him easily. Even Chara had forgiven him, saying it wasn't his fault and she shouldn't have hidden in his boat. He told her it was alright as she had just been playing. For a while, before she had gotten so gravely sick, she would beg him for boat rides and he never refused her that.

A tear dropped down from his eye. News of the princess' death had hit him hard and it still ached a bit to this day, though in the years he had been raising Kayla, the ache had faded away mostly, but a small part still lingered, which he was glad for, as he didn't want to ever forget the princess.

The next morning, he received a call from the Queen. Surprised, he responded. "My Queen, how are you?" He asked politely.

"I'm good, River Person," she replied. "Please, is Kayla there?"

"Yes, one moment."

When Kayla learned Toriel wanted to talk to her, she immediately answered. "Miss Toriel, is everything alright?" She asked.

Over the years after she had met the Queen, Toriel had insisted Kayla address her as Miss Toriel. It was less formal and she felt better that she could relate with the girl as a friend. Kayla had understood and honored her wishes.

"Kayla, dear, do you recall that dream you had, about you falling and something chasing you and you ran into me?"

Kayla felt her heart stop. "The vision," she said, getting her father's attention. She had told him about that dream and he now listened.

"A young child fell down here last night," Toriel said. "A nasty creature was chasing her and she ran into the Ruins. She's here right now and sleeping, but I was wondering if you could come and see her. She might be the one you recall, or at least were in the shoes of, in that dream."

"I'll be right there, Miss Toriel," she promised as she signed off.

River Person looked at her. "The dream you had?" He asked.

She nodded. "Another child fallen down here, Papa," she said. "She ran into Miss Toriel, just like in my dream. Something was chasing her."

The seventeen-year-old wasted no time in grabbing her winter cloak and running out the door. "Be careful!" She heard her father caution her.

"I will, Papa!" She called back in promise and waved before racing down the path, running by Sans' hotcat stand and would have continued if he hadn't grabbed her in his telekinesis.

"Hey, what's the hurry, kid?" He asked with a smile.

She turned to him. "Sans, another child has fallen," she said. "Just like in my dream."

The skeleton became more alert. "Where?" He asked.

"Toriel. The Ruins," Kayla said. "We've got to go."

He nodded. "Hold on," he said, wrapping an arm around her and she hugged him, knowing he was going to teleport them to the door outside the Ruins, the same door where Kayla had first met Toriel. They arrived and Sans knocked, to which Toriel opened the door and let them in.

"The poor little one was injured from battling the creature after her and I found other bruises and scars that must be from the surface," Toriel said.

"Another abused child?" Sans asked, feeling sick. He hated to hear that a child had been abused.

"Yes," the goat lady said. "She was so afraid of me that it took me a bit to calm her down and get her to trust me enough to heal her injuries."

Just then, they heard footsteps and a small child with brown hair and brown eyes came out. She wore a pink and purple striped sweater, brown shorts and brown boots. She gasped upon seeing Sans and hid behind Toriel, whimpering.

Kayla, who had been on Sans' other side so the child hadn't seen her, came closer and kneeled down. "Hey," she said softly.

The little girl peeked out at her, looking curious at seeing she was a human. "Y-Y-You're h-human too?" She asked, her voice trembling.

"Yes, I am," Kayla responded gently. "I fell down here a long time ago myself."

She smiled. "I'm Kayla. What's your name?"

"Frisk," the child answered softly.

The older girl felt sympathy for Frisk, who was no doubt terrified at being in a new place and wondering who she could trust. "Don't be afraid, Frisk. We won't hurt you," she said softly.

Unknown to her, Sans had decided to step outside, seeing as his appearance had frightened the little one and he didn't want her to be frightened of him while Kayla was trying to calm her down.

After a bit, Frisk had calmed down and Toriel had given the young girl permission to go with Kayla to explore the rest of the Underground and to give her a call whenever. Promising to do so, Frisk went with the older girl and they began walking through Snowdin.

"The Underground is really a nice place," Kayla said to her.

"But it's full of monsters, right?" Frisk asked, unsure about the monsters, despite Toriel's kindness.

"True, but they're very friendly, especially the king," she said. "He's kind and gentle from what Papa told me."

"Who?" The little girl asked.

"Oh, my father, the River Person," Kayla replied. "He saved me five years ago when I was thrown down here and fell into the river. If it hadn't been for him, I would have drowned."

Frisk was curious. "But...are there some bad monsters?" She asked, recalling the scary one that had chased her before she had run into Toriel.

"Not that I know of," the older girl answered. "Although, be cautious around Undyne when you first meet her. She may not be willing to be friends at first, but may give it a chance if you give her a chance."

The little girl nodded. "I'll keep that in mind," she said.

"Don't let it _rattle your bones,"_ came a voice that made both Frisk and Kayla yelp in surprise and whirl around, with the little girl hiding behind the older girl, who now glared at the laughing skeleton in front of them.

"Sans! You almost gave Frisk and I heart attacks!" She scolded. "Why I-EEEEEEEEE!"

Sans cut off her scolding by reaching forward and tickling her sides, making her yelp before she laughed as he kept tickling her, going for her stomach and making her fall to her knees, unable to stand up as he kept up the tickle torture.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! SAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHANS!" She laughed out.

He chuckled. "You still mad at me?" He asked in a playful, teasing voice, giving her a moment to catch her breath.

Kayla took some deep breaths and looked at him. "Ugh, Sans," she said without heat, a smile on her face. "You drive me _out of my skull_ sometimes, but I can't stay mad at you."

"Of course you can't. I'm too _bone-ified_ of a friend for you to stay mad at," he responded, making her chuckle at his pun.

Frisk had been hiding behind a nearby tree as this had happened and Sans noticed her. "Hey, Frisk," he said, a friendly smile on his face. "You're kind of too far away to shake hands with a new pal."

The little girl looked unsure, but Kayla smiled. "It's okay, Frisk," she said. "Sans is harmless. He won't hurt you."

Looking nervous still, the small girl took a brave step towards the skeleton, though looking ready to bolt at a moment's notice. Sans kept his friendly smile in place, not moving until she was in front of him, to which he held out his hand and she went to shake it before spotting something in his hand and instead grabbing his wrist, making him look at her in surprise before he noticed what she had seen. "Hey, no fair," he said without heat. "You peeked at my hand."

Frisk giggled before letting out a squeak as Sans gently grabbed her arm and used his free hand to tickle her right ear, which produced giggles out of her. "Well, well, a tickle monster's favorite sound," he said with a chuckle as he playfully wiggled his fingers into her stomach, making the little girl laugh before he stopped, gently pinching her right cheek. "Feeling better, kiddo?"

She nodded, feeling more at ease with him. "What's the Underground like?" She asked.

"Sounds like it's time for a tour," Sans said, gently scooping up Frisk and holding out his hand for Kayla, who took it as the skeleton led them on a tour of the Underground.

* * *

 **Well, now Frisk has joined the Underground. Next up: the monster after Frisk returns, but she and Kayla are saved by an unexpected savior. Stay tuned! :)**

 **And for those of you that like Napstablook, I figured he needed a little scene too as Kayla's boyfriend. :)**

 **And please leave a review, but no flames!**

 **GoldGuardian2418**


	12. The Goopy Skeleton

**Chapter 12: The Goopy Skeleton**

Frisk was walking around, looking for Kayla when she heard laughter and found Kayla giggling as a cloaked being held her in his arms and was tickling her stomach, making her laugh harder. "Papa!" She cried out through her laughter.

"I've got you, my little one," he cooed to her before noticing Frisk. "Ah, and this must be the new child. Frisk, is it?"

The young girl shrank back, unsure of the cloaked being. "Oh, come now, I'm not going to bite," River Person chuckled as he motioned the young child closer.

Kayla straightened as she regained her breath and she smiled. "It's okay, Frisk. This is my father, the one who rescued me when I first fell down here," she said.

The child was still uncertain, to which River Person gently grabbed her in his telekinesis, his hands glowing a soft purple as he gently pulled the child closer to him. She trembled a little as she was gently placed in his arms, but giggles soon poured out of her mouth as a gentle hand began tickling her stomach. "Cootchie, cootchie, coo!" River Person cooed to her. "I've got you, little one!"

Frisk giggled and laughed, trying to squirm away, but was unable to. Thankfully, the cloaked being let her up after a bit. "See? I'm not so scary now, am I?" He asked, gently pinching the left side of Frisk's face, making her giggle again.

Sans came out, smiling at the scene. "Hey, River Person," he said. "What's up, Kayla?"

"Hi, Sans," she replied, hugging him.

Frisk reached for Sans, who accepted her from the cloaked being. "See, kiddo. Not all monsters are mean," he said. "River Person is one of the most peaceful monsters I know."

"Thank you, Sans," said River Person, smiling as he felt Kayla hug him and he nuzzled his forehead against hers in affection. "Little one, don't you and Napstablook have a date today?"

"Later this afternoon, Papa," the seventeen-year-old replied. "Mettaton's doing some last minute work for his next CD release and Blooky's helping him."

"Who's Napsta-, um...," Frisk asked.

"Napstablook," Sans said helpfully. "He's Mettaton's cousin and Kayla's boyfriend."

Kayla smiled. "And he's an amazing guy," she said. "You'll like him, Frisk."

"What kind of person is he?" Frisk asked.

"He's a ghost," River Person said. "And a very talented DJ."

Just then, Kayla's phone rang and she answered it. "Hello?" She said before perking up. "Blooky! We were just talking about you."

"Really?" He asked, perking up. "Well, we're done over here and I was wondering if you'd all like to come to the studio. Mettaton's going to give you guys a free concert."

"That's awesome! Tell him thanks and we'll be there," Kayla said.

"Alright. See you soon...my diamond rose," he said, the last part coming out shyly.

The teenager blushed. Napstablook had come up with that nickname for her and she loved it. "See you soon, my handsome DJ," she said before she hung up. "Hey, everyone. Mettaton's going to give us a private concert!"

"Well, how about that?" Sans said with a chuckle, looking at Frisk. "You haven't met him yet, have you, kiddo?"

The child shook her head. "Is Mettaton nice?" She asked.

Kayla made a thoughtful noise. "He can be when he wants to be," she said. "He's a bit vain and loves his television show, but he's decent, for a robot."

River Person chuckled. "You still haven't quiet forgiven him for pulling you on stage that time where you got a pie in the face, have you?" He asked.

"No, Dad," she said. "It took a week to get those stains out of my cloak. Thankfully, Alphys' mixture worked to get it clean."

She looked at her cloak and nodded, making her father and Sans laugh in amusement. "Well, come on," River Person said. "I'll take us in my boat."

"Yay!" Frisk exclaimed happily as they headed for the dock, climbing aboard the boat and River Person stood at the stern, guiding them as the boat floated down the river.

All of a sudden, Frisk jumped in shock. "What's that?" She asked.

"What's what, kiddo?" Sans asked.

"I heard something. I think it was a voice."

Kayla jumped up suddenly. "Wait, I think I hear it too," she said. "It sounds...staticky, but it has a strange rhythm, almost like...someone speaking."

Frisk moved closer to Kayla, clinging to the older girl's cloak before the boat suddenly rocked and they gasped. "Papa! What's going on?" River Person heard his daughter call out.

"Hold on!" He called out, trying to steady the boat.

Just then, an evil laugh filled the air and Frisk screamed as she saw a familiar flower coming towards them. "Flowey!" She exclaimed.

Seeing the evil-looking flower coming towards them, Kayla quickly pulled up her reflective and protective magics to stop him, trying to get a read on the flower, but finding no stats, which she found odd. "A soulless monster," she heard her father say as his hands glowed purple and Sans' left eye lit up with a blue flame.

Unknown to them, Flowey was sneaking his vines closer to them from behind, about to grab the two girls, but before he could, two goopy arms grabbed Frisk and Kayla, making them gasp in surprise as they were pulled back and away from the evil flower and the other two monsters. "Papa!" Kayla cried out in fear.

"Dunkle!" Frisk cried out.

"Babybones!" "Kayla!" Came the cries of River Person and Sans, who were unable to do anything as the girls disappeared before their eyes.

* * *

It became somewhat dark around the girls, but they noted the arms that held them were holding them in a protective embrace, like whoever had grabbed them had done so to protect them. They turned to find a monster behind them, but he looked like a goopy skeleton. Curious, Kayla called up her protective magic and gently surrounded all three of them in a protective bubble.

No sooner had she done that, the skeleton began changing and to hers and Frisk's astonishment, they were facing a skeleton in a black cloak with holes in the palms of his hands. He had two cracks on his face, one running up his head from one eye and the other running down his face from his other eye, and his hands glowed purple, like River Person's hands when he was using his magic. "Who are you?" Kayla asked.

"I am Gaster, young one," he replied. "And you restored me. Thank you."

Frisk looked up at him curiously. "Where are we?" She asked.

"The Void," he said. "A place where I've been trapped, but now the three of us can escape."

"How?" Kayla asked.

Gaster picked up Frisk and held an arm out to Kayla, who let him hug her to him. "Hold on tight," he said and in a flash of purple and gold (Kayla's protective magic), they were on the riverbank and spotted River Person and Sans coming up to them.

"Dunkle!" Frisk cried out, running to him, seeing he looked like he had just been in a battle.

"Papa!" Kayla cried out in worry, seeing part of her father's cloak was torn. He caught her in his arms.

"I'm alright, my little one," he said soothingly before gasping as he saw the skeleton responsible for keeping Kayla and Frisk safe. "Gaster. Old friend, you're back."

"Yes," the taller skeleton said as Sans hugged him in relief. "And I think I have a way to break the barrier, but I must get to my lab."

Sans nodded. "I'll take you there," he said.

"Can we come too?" Frisk asked hopefully.

Moments later, they had all teleported to Gaster's lab, where he traded his black cloak for his white lab coat and began levitating different pieces of machinery, metal, or just components. "I hope this works," he said aloud.

"What is it, bro?" Sans asked.

Gaster smiled at them. "Hopefully, the device that will break the barrier and free us all," he replied.

* * *

 **Oooh! Looks like the barrier might be broken after all. Or will it? Stay tuned to find out! :)**

 **And please leave a review, but no flames!**

 **GoldGuardian2418**


	13. It Takes Two

**Whew! It's been a crazy two months for me with work and writing stories. For those of you that have requests, rest assured, I have not forgotten them and plan to do them soon. :)**

 **Now, on with the story! :)**

* * *

 **Chapter 13: It Takes Two**

Gaster worked on his device as Kayla, Frisk, Sans, and River Person watched. The scientist looked at Kayla and Frisk. "May I see your souls?" He asked.

Both grew a bit worried. "Why?" Kayla asked gently.

"I have a theory that just might work," he replied, smiling gently. "I promise it won't hurt."

"What exactly will it do?" River Person asked.

"Hopefully mimic the traits that we need to break the barrier," Gaster said, but then he looked pensive. "It is a bit risky, so the moment you girls feel any pain, I need you to shout out the safe word."

The girls nodded, agreeing a safe word was necessary and they were glad he was thinking about their safety. "What's the safe word?" Frisk asked.

"Restart," the scientist said.

The girls nodded again, taking deep breaths as Gaster's magic gently surrounded them, bringing out Kayla's tri-colored soul and Frisk's red soul. Gaster very gently handled the delicate souls, taking a small amount of their aura and guiding it to the machine. "Are you girls doing alright?" He asked.

Kayla bit her lip, but nodded. "It...feels weird," she admitted. "And a bit uncomfortable."

"Any pain?" Gaster asked, ready to stop the process immediately.

Both girls shook their heads. "No, no pain," Frisk responded.

Nodding, the scientist gently continued, keeping a close eye on the souls, as did Sans and River Person. They grew a bit alarmed when both girls' HP dipped a little, but they saw it wasn't by much.

Gaster nodded as he finished and released the souls, letting them return to their owners. Kayla and Frisk swayed a little on their feet, forcing the scientist to catch them. "Are you two alright?" He asked, worried he might have gone too far.

Kayla groaned a little. "Why do I feel a bit weak?" She asked.

The scientist checked their stats and his eyes widened. "Oh, gracious," he said in horror. "It affected your HP."

"Only a little," River Person said soothingly as he accepted his daughter from the scientist and helped her sit down. Sans did the same for Frisk and the girls quickly ate some food, bringing their HP back up again.

Gaster took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, girls. I didn't know it would affect you so bad," he said, feeling terrible that he might have badly hurt them.

Kayla went up to him. "Gaster, you didn't hurt us," she said, hugging him. "And we trust you."

Frisk nodded, also hugging him before perking up. "Let's see if your machine works," she said eagerly. "It's high time you guys were all free."

"I agree," Kayla said, smiling and going up to her father, hugging him. He returned her hug, holding her protectively.

"And when we get to the surface, I'll sign the paperwork to officially make you my daughter," he promised.

She grinned. "That would be great, Papa," she said.

Sans grinned. "Let's call the others," he said. "This is something none of us can miss."

That was met with agreement and they headed out, spreading the word and inviting everyone to come with them. Soon, the whole Underground was following them to King Asgore's castle.

Kayla recalled when her father had told her that Asgore knew about her, but hadn't wanted to hurt her. She had a feeling he wouldn't want to hurt Frisk either, but she pulled up her hood to hide her face and stood close to Frisk, ready to shield her.

The king was surprised, but when he heard his royal scientist had returned with a device that could break the barrier, he willingly let them through, meeting Frisk and Kayla for the first time and welcoming them warmly, to their surprise.

Toriel was even surprised as well as she learned her husband had had a change of heart about humans, but she was inwardly happy. They were soon gathered around the barrier and Gaster pointed the device at it. "Alright, this is it," he said with a grin as he turned on the device.

But to everyone's surprise and Gaster's embarrassment, the machine spluttered and broke, not working at all. Everyone felt disappointed, but none of them blamed the scientist. The barrier was held together by strong magic, apparently a bit stronger than they realized.

Kayla fell into thought before she perked up. "Perhaps something else can break the barrier," she said, catching their attentions.

"What?" Doggo asked curiously.

"Love," she replied. "Papa took me in after I nearly drowned and he's raised me as his own ever since. Not only that, I befriended many of you, even if we had to battle first."

Frisk realized what Kayla was getting at and smiled, recalling how she had first met Sans and how he had accepted her and Papyrus giving her spaghetti that wasn't quite right, but it had improved since she showed him how to properly make it. "Kayla's right," she said. "You guys have shown us love and helped us."

Kayla nodded. "The humans the banished you here were wrong," she said. "You're people, just like us."

"And we're going to help the surface world see that," Frisk promised.

Just then, both girls began glowing with their trait colors and the river, which was nearby, flowed up to them, as if drawn to them. Kayla reached out, as did Frisk, and they caught hold of each other's hands.

The river began slamming against the barrier then, almost with a vegeance. With their free hands, the girls reached out to the monsters. River Person grasped his daughter's hand as Sans grasped Frisk's hand and they extended their free hands towards the others, who grasped each other's hands like a chain, their soul colors lighting up the area as well.

The colors grew brighter as more of the monsters joined hands and the river smashed against the barrier, seeming to gather strength as more monsters joined the chain and now spraying the girls a little as it crashed harder against the barrier.

Kayla glanced up. "Look," she said softly.

Frisk glanced up to see that the barrier seemed to be weakening at the edges, but was still apparently holding strong against the raging water. "All together now!" Frisk called out. "Gather closer!"

The monsters did that and the colors swirling around them grew so bright everyone had to squint against the brightness. "Keep it up!" Kayla cried out as the river now because as fierce as a hurricane, slamming continuously into the barrier with a fury that drowned out all other noise.

Suddenly, the barrier began shaking harshly, which made the ground shake too in a mini-earthquake. "Hold on!" Asgore cried out. "Don't let go!"

That advice was gladly taken as the noise grew louder, the river reached its full fury, and with one final, powerful shake, the barrier collapsed with such force that it almost knocked everyone to the ground.

Then, all was quiet.

* * *

 **Alright! The barrier is broken! Yay! :)**

 **Next chapter is the epilogue.**

 **Please leave a review, but no flames!**

 **GoldGuardian2418**


	14. Angels To Us

**Chapter 14: Angels To Us**

Kayla and Frisk opened their eyes and gasped in surprise. Beyond where the barrier had been was a cavern and it was sparkling with all sorts of colors. Looking at each other, the girls cautiously moved forward before the colors grew brighter and filled the cavern with a dazzling display. "Guys! You've got to see this!" Kayla called out.

Napstablook came up to her and his expression perked up. "Wow," he said in surprise before noticing the colors were reflecting around them and his girlfriend looked dazzling as the colors reflected around them.

Papyrus gasped in surprise. "Wowie!" He said. "It's like buried treasure!"

"Yeah, it is," Sans agreed, also amazed.

Toriel gasped in surprise. "It's so beautiful," she said.

They all cautiously stepped deeper into the cavern before seeing a light up ahead. Here, Kayla and Frisk hung back, something that the monsters noticed. "Kayla? What is it, little one?" River Person asked his daughter.

The seventeen-year-old looked pensive. "What if you all aren't accepted by everyone?" She asked.

"Kayla's right," Frisk said softly, looking down.

Grillby came up to them. "I'm sure there's other humans like you girls," he said. "Angels among those who are unsure."

"He's right," Toriel said assuringly. "You two accepted us because we proved to you that we wouldn't hurt you and you two gave us that chance to prove it."

"The only way we'll know if they'll accept us is if both sides are given a chance," Undyne said with a nod.

"And if both sides are willing to work together too," Gaster said gently.

Taking a deep breath, Kayla looked up to see something dark coming towards them, but before it reached them, it vanished, though she thought she felt a light touch on her shoulder.

" _Thank y_ ou,"an unfamiliar voice said in her ear.

She blinked and turned to look, but no one was there. Napstablook gasped slightly though. "Blooky? What is it?" Mettaton asked in concern.

"I...I thought I heard Prince Asriel's voice," he said.

Kayla looked at her boyfriend. "Is that who I heard too?" She asked.

"What did you hear?" Sans asked.

"I heard someone say 'thank you' and felt a light touch on my shoulder, but only after a dark mass vanished as it was coming towards us," the older girl replied.

Asgore and Toriel were surprised. "You...heard our son speak?" Asgore asked.

"I guess we did," Napstablook said. "His spirit must have been trapped down here with us after Chara's death."

"Which means...he's now free too," Frisk said in surprise.

Toriel had tears in her eyes, but smiled gently. "My babies can finally rest in peace," she said softly.

Movement at the entrance caught their attention and and Kayla jumped in front of everyone, her protective magic making her hands glow. "Who's there?" She called out.

A face looked into the cave and it was a policeman's face. He blinked in astonishment before looking at Kayla and Frisk. "Wait, I know you two," he said. "You two are the missing girls."

Frisk blinked. "Missing girls?" She asked.

He nodded. "Your teachers filed missing persons reports on you two," he said. "We thought you had died when we couldn't find you, Kayla."

Kayla was surprised to learn that her teacher had done that. "I didn't realize anybody cared after my foster family threw me down the hole into Mt. Ebbot," she said.

"And after I escaped my foster family," Frisk said. "They were upset they didn't get a boy to adopt as they wanted."

The older girl gasped and looked at Frisk. "Wait, did the couple have two older sons?" She asked.

The younger girl looked surprised. "Yeah, they did," she said.

Kayla couldn't believe it. "Your foster parents...were my foster parents too!" She said in shock.

The monsters were shocked too, remembering how Kayla had told them about being thrown into Mt. Ebbot and left for dead. "If Frisk hadn't gotten away from them," Sans started to say.

"They may have done what they did to Kayla five years ago," Grillby finished, his voice filled with horror.

River Person pulled Kayla into a hug and hugged Frisk as well. "If those people even dare come near you two, I'll give them something to think about," he growled.

The policeman felt the same way before looking at the gathered monsters. "So the stories my grandfather told me about monsters under Mt. Ebbot were true," he said. "But...it sounds like you monsters are heroes."

"Why do you say that, Officer?" Papyrus asked.

"Because you all saved Kayla and Frisk's lives," he said, smiling. "I was worried their cases would go cold and we'd never find out what happened to them, but now...those foster people can be arrested and charged. They face life in prison now."

He looked at the girls. "Would you two be willing to testify?" He asked.

Kayla grew thoughtful and looked at the monsters that had been her family for five years. "On one condition," she said.

"Yes?" He asked.

"Help our family?"

The policeman nodded and when word got out that the two girls that had been presumed dead were alive, everyone was surprised, especially the foster parents, who were arrested and put in jail for life. The police department, keeping true to their word, helped the monsters settle into the town and helped ease any tensions that arose.

Thankfully, there wasn't that much tension and as the days became weeks, things started to really look up for everyone.

River Person was granted permission to adopt Kayla officially, something that made them both happy, and Frisk was officially adopted by Toriel and Asgore, something that made the little girl ecstatic.

Grillby opened a new restaurant and quickly became world-renowned for his delicious food, the Royal Guard Dogs officially became part of the police force as did Undyne, who was proud to help train new recruits and catch criminals. Papyrus became a policeman too and often worked with Undyne to bring down criminals.

Toriel, who was working on getting her teaching license, homeschooled both Kayla and Frisk as part of her training while Sans, Gaster, and Alphys accepted scientist jobs and quickly became top scientists in their chosen fields.

River Person, having always worked with boats and giving rides to those who needed it, found a job that allowed him to continue giving boat rides to people. At first, many were unsure about the monsters being part of the community and there were a few incidents of haters protesting, but the situations were handled peacefully, even though there was still a ways to go before tensions were fully settled.

One day, Kayla was helping her father at his job and many of the people thought it was sweet that the father and daughter were working together and that River Person obviously loved his daughter very much.

The seventeen-year-old smiled at her father. "Dad, I'm proud to have you as my dad," she said honestly.

"And I'm equally proud to have you as my daughter, my little river," he said, hugging her.

Kayla smiled. She was indeed her father's little river, something she was proud to be.

* * *

 **And that concludes "Mystery Of The River". Thank you all who read, reviewed, faved, and followed the story. :)**

 **Please leave a review, but no flames!**

 **GoldGuardian2418**


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